Would You Put Any Bread On The Table

[emmie]

for a themed Italian meal. Am planning one for a friend soon and don't know whether three courses are enough without adding bread in as well. If i had bread with a starter of buffalo mozarella parma ham, rocket and maybe fresh figs, what bread should i use if any......

[Barmaid]

Freshly baked Ciabatta. And olive oil.

[diddlydo]

The obvious bread to serve would be ciabata but personally, assuming that pasta features as one of your courses, I wouldn't want to eat much bread with a 3 course meal.

[mccfluff]

i like olive bread, sainsbury's do a lovely one

[sunny-dave]

Most supermarkets (certainly Aldi and M&S) have some 'topped flatbread' either as rolls or a single piece of flatbread - I'd get a pack and warm the bread in the oven to have with the starters - if it doesn't get eaten then it can be reheated for a leftovers lunch the next day.

[dannyk13]

Or Focaccia

[emmie]

i thought of foccacia and wondered if that wasn't too much.

[Prudie]

another standard with Italian food is bread sticks (the crisp cigar shaped ones). They are not very filling

[ummmm]

I wouldn't eat the bread. Too filling for me.

[dannyk13]

Actually Emmie. If the Italians were putting any bread on the table it would be Pane Nero a kind of brown bread,

[emmie]

it will have to be bought from sainsburys sometime nearer the date.

[murraymints]

ALDI do very nice range as Dave suggested , lovely when warmed up

[jno]

breadsticks? You'll often find them on tables in Italy; not substantial enough to be a course, so they should satisfy people like ummmm (and me) who don't necessarily want to spoil their appetite before the main courses.

[emmie]

think i might go with breadsticks, not too filling, nibble on whilst i am preparing the main course of pasta.

[murraymints]

breadsticks with perhaps some kind of dip ? a simple tomato and garlic type thing ?

[Islay]

Oh yes I would as barmaid suggests

[diddlydo]

I loathe breadsticks because they're so pointless and tasteless. What's more you can't mop up sauce with them or dip them in olive oil.

[jno]

you can dip breadsticks in anything you like, or just eat them naked.

[NoMercy]

A bread basket should ideally be on the table when everyone is seated (before the starters are served.)

A mix of different breads, butter, olive oil / balsamic dip and grissini (breadsticks) usually goes down well.

[ethandron]

I always have bread available when we have anyone round for a meal, whichever type is appropriate for the food I'm doing. Sometimes it gets eaten, sometimes not, but at least it's there for the hungry ones.
I'd either do the same as barmaid or buy one of the fancy topped ones, if you're going to sainsburys they have some lovely ones.

[Cloverjo]

Three courses sounds plenty, without bread. Id go for the breadsticks. Something to nibble on without being too filling.